- Progne elegans
Identification
Photo © by Stanley Jones
El 44 Reserva Natural de Tiempo Libre, Capilla del Monte, Córdoba Province, Argentina, October 2019
El 44 Reserva Natural de Tiempo Libre, Capilla del Monte, Córdoba Province, Argentina, October 2019
17 cm (6¾ in)
Male
- Dark glossy blue
- Wings and tail darker
- Deeply forked tail
Similar Species
Purple Martin, which is longer and has an even more deeply forked tail.
Distribution
South America: found in Colombia, Suriname, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina
Accidental vagrant to Florida (1 record).
Taxonomy
Monotypic after the split of Galapagos Martin and Peruvian Martin.
The pre-split species was called Southern Martin, Progne modesta.
Habitat
Forests, and open and semi-open areas, dry grassland, woodlands, pastures and urban areas.
Behaviour
Diet
They eat a variety of insects, such as moths, dragonflies, wasps and ants.
Breeding
They construct a nest from grass, twigs and feathers. It is placed in a hole using trees, cliffs, walls and house roofs.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Turner, A. (2020). Southern Martin (Progne elegans). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/57716 on 23 February 2020
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Southern Martin. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 7 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Southern_Martin
